Spike.



Patented luly ll, I899. S. W. HIGGINS.

SPIKE.

(Application filed Oct. 12, 1898.)

(No Model.)

wins,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER W. HIGGINS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- ,FOURTI'IS TO WILLIAM H. DEWEES, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,537, dated'July 11', 189

Application filed October 12, 1898. Serial No. 693330. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, SYLVESTER W. HIG- GINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spikes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates more particularly to improvements in railway-spikes; and the particular object of the invention is to produce a spike of superior holding qualities which is especially adapted to firmly resist the lateral thrust of the rail, as in going around curves, which will not bend in driving orpulling, and which in addition embodies other features which a good spike is required to have.

To this end the invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and shown in the drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front and side elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective View, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section and plan taken on line a- 00, Figs. 1 and 2.

A is the head, B the shank, and O the sharpened end or point, of the spike.

The head of the spike is that of the ordinary railway-spike and has the usual rail-' bearing a formed thereon.' The neck portion Z) of the shank, directly'below the head and for a short distance about equal to the distance the spike usually projects above the ties when it is driven in, is formed of rectangular cross-section, like the ordinary solid spike; but below that and for the whole distance the shank is driven into the tie it is of aT-shaped cross-section and terminates into the point C. The central portion or stem of the T is on the front side of the spike, on

which the rail bears, and the head of the T forms the back of the spike, which has to resist the lateral thrustof the rail. The upper portion 0 of the stem is a continuation of the neck portion 1) and is of the same size.- It then contracts and forms a tapering portion cl, after which it is continuous at the reduced size for the remaining portion e, and at the lower end this portion e tapers off toward the back of the shank into the point.

The head of the T is of substantially uniform thickness and width for its whole length it forms the shoulders f on the sides of the stem. The point C is formed by tapering the head of the T at the lower end from bothsides'equally toward the center and by correspondingly tapering the stem at the lower end from the front toward the back, thereby forming at the extreme lower end of the spike a sharp point 9', which is in the center of the back. 7

It will be seen that the lateral dimension of the T-shaped portion of the shank is fully equal to that of the head of the spike. It forms thus a broad fiat back especially adapted to resist any lateral thrust of the rail, which, especially on curves, tends to loosen the spike,which permits the rail to spread and cause disaster.

The formation of the point makes the spike drive easy, and, furthermore, also causes the spike in driving to become firmly seated with its back. A further advantage of the spike is that being of the T shape described it is very stifl", although relatively light, while at the same time its great superficial area gives it great holding quality.

The neck of the spike being solid, there is no danger that the wear of the rail may weaken it, and as'the portion 0 below it is of the same size it materially reinforces the spike just where the lateral thrust of the rail would tend to bend it.

What I claim as my invention is- A spike composed of a head, provided with a solid neck of rectangular cross-section, and a T-shaped shank, the head of which constitutes the back of the spike,and the central portion or stem the spike front against which the rail bears, said stem consisting of an enlarged upper portion 0 formed by a continuation of the neck, a reduced portion e comprising the stem proper, and the tapering portion 01, the shank terminating at its lower end in a point, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SYLVESTER w. HIGGINS.

- Witnesses: v

M. B. ODocnnn'rv, OTTO H. BARTHEL. 

